President Vladimir Putin has launched a program to improve the physical fitness of Russians, using funds from the Winter Olympics to revive a Soviet-era plan.
Speaking at a meeting with officials in the Kremlin on March 24, Putin said that reinstating the plan, first introduced in the 1930s under Joseph Stalin and known in Russia by the acronym GTO, would "pay homage to our national historical traditions."
Putin said funds earmarked for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi last month but unused would go to support sports venues and promote healthy lifestyles among Russians from the age of six.
Russia is thought to have spent upwards of $50 billion on preparations for the Olympics, making them far and away the costliest games in Olympic history.
Speaking at a meeting with officials in the Kremlin on March 24, Putin said that reinstating the plan, first introduced in the 1930s under Joseph Stalin and known in Russia by the acronym GTO, would "pay homage to our national historical traditions."
Putin said funds earmarked for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi last month but unused would go to support sports venues and promote healthy lifestyles among Russians from the age of six.
Russia is thought to have spent upwards of $50 billion on preparations for the Olympics, making them far and away the costliest games in Olympic history.
